Stephen Plavin is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Cetera since 2004. In addition to his advisory role, he is a partner at Kaplan, Plavin & Steinhardt, LLP, specializing in taxes and accounting. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional accounts. The firm offers diverse portfolio management and consulting services through a nationwide network of independent advisors, utilizing a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party money managers.

Kevin Gray is a CFP® professional with 14 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with LPL Financial in Fort Lauderdale, FL. His prior roles include positions at Fisher Investments, New York Life Investment Management, and NFP Retirement. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with Greyson Tax & Consulting, focusing on tax preparation and accounting services. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by extensive advisor tools and a large network of over 22,000 advisors.

Matthew Dernis is a CFP® professional with 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and has previously worked with firms including Fortune 360 Group LLC, Investacorp Advisory Services, and BNY Mellon Securities Corporation. Dernis is also president of Retirement Consultant Services LLC and involved in divorce planning through Divorce Litigation Solutions. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional investors such as pension and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and wrap-fee programs across multiple platforms and custodians.

David Menaged is a financial advisor at Merrill with seven years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. His work history includes positions at Bank of America N.A., Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance, Aimark, Engler Engineering, and the University of Central Florida. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary strategies developed by internal and third-party managers for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Robert Crabtree is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 20 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at CUNA Mutual Group, CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc., and SunTrust Investment Services. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Lorenna Gonzalez Ellison is a financial advisor at Ameriprise with 13 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Ameriprise and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. since 2014. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service designed for individuals approaching or in retirement who meet specific asset criteria, providing written Recommendation Reports that cover income sources, Social Security options, and tax-smart withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis in its approach and delivers services through a centralized retirement-income consulting team in partnership with its financial advisors.

Smith Maxime is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Miami Lakes, FL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at PFS Investments Inc. and Primerica Financial Services, as well as self-employment. Primerica Advisors manages a wrap-fee asset management program serving individual, corporate, and charitable clients, using model-delivery strategies and discretionary separately managed accounts supported by third-party portfolio managers and custodians.

Katharine Taglialatela is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and two years of industry experience. She previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services and has experience in event staffing through occasional work with Tara Lynn Events. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services focused on written asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting for plan sponsors, corporations, and endowments. Their advisory process combines quantitative screening and qualitative research to develop model asset allocations, with final decisions made by clients.

Yousef Younis is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Merrill, Herald Square Advisors LLC, and Joseph Gunnar & Co., LLC. Outside of finance, he was involved with One World One Kitchen in 2017. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients, focusing on written asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting, with clients retaining final decision-making authority.

Michael Brener is an International Wealth Advisor with the MAB Group at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He brings over 29 years of experience in the financial services industry, focusing on serving clients domestically and internationally. His expertise includes college education planning, divorce transition planning, international wealth management, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, small business strategies, and retirement income. Born in New York and raised in Venezuela, Michael holds a Systems Engineering degree from Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas and a Master's degree in Business Administration from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Hebrew, which enhances his ability to connect with a diverse client base. Michael holds professional designations including Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) and is a member of the Investments & Wealth Institute and the Academy of Certified Portfolio Managers. He has been recognized on Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors list in 2014 and on Forbes' Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list for four consecutive years through 2022. Outside of his professional work, Michael serves as the National Director of Neve Michael Children's Village, a home for at-risk children in Israel. He values his family highly and enjoys basketball, cooking, reading, and traveling.

Stephen Potter is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Fort Lauderdale, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 40 years of industry experience. He has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2009 and Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs including tailored financial planning, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Julie Williamson Bresset is a financial advisor with Merrill in Fort Lauderdale, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 21 years of industry experience. She has worked at Merrill since 2022 and previously at SunTrust Advisory Services from 2016 to 2022. Bresset serves on the boards of Junior Achievement of South Florida and CAN Community Health Care, organizations focused on financial literacy for youth and health care advocacy, respectively. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions.

Richard Taylor is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 34 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 2009. He also serves as a trustee in a trust based in Dayton, Ohio. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that offers a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning services and manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Claudia Medina is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Aventura, FL, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. She previously worked at Raymond James & Associates and Coast View Real Estate Services, LLC. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals and institutional clients with a variety of advisory programs and tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured financial planning process supported by firm-approved tools and resources.

Barbara Marshall is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Fort Lauderdale, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 36 years of industry experience. Her career includes 21 years at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., followed by roles at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC before joining Morgan Stanley in 2024. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer providing a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients. The firm offers tailored financial planning supported by structured processes and firm-approved tools, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Abraham Cabrera is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA. Early in his career, he was employed at Party City (iparty) for one year. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Joseph Musumeci is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Fort Lauderdale, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James & Associates since 2011. Raymond James & Associates, Inc. is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutional and pension plans, charitable organizations, and government entities, offering financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting supported by a wide range of portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

Jeffrey Lazar is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 39 years of industry experience. His career includes prior roles at Merrill and FSC Securities Corporation, and he has also worked as an independent insurance agent since 2004. He serves as president of Lazar Financial Services Inc., a financial services firm. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and wrap-fee programs. The firm supports both discretionary and non-discretionary management and provides access to proprietary model strategies, third-party advisers, and multiple custodial platforms.

Melinda Gambino is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing over 27 years of experience in the financial services industry, with nearly all of those years spent at Merrill. She specializes in providing financial investment guidance to multi-generational families, franchise owners, female business owners, recently widowed or divorced clients, and heirs. Her approach centers on a disciplined, comprehensive, and consultative process that aligns financial strategies with each client’s risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, and overall life goals. Melinda also assists charitable organizations and clients interested in socially responsible and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing. Her expertise covers family wealth management, legacy planning, philanthropic planning, retirement income, portfolio management, and services tailored for endowments, foundations, and non-profits. Melinda holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and attended the University of Southern Mississippi. She emphasizes maintaining strong client relationships through accessibility, knowledge, and experience, always placing clients’ needs as a priority. In addition to her professional duties, Melinda is engaged in community involvement, volunteering with schools and nonprofit organizations to promote social responsibility. Her personal interests include antiquing, chess, cooking, drawing and sketching, football, gardening, knitting and crocheting, painting, spending time with family, and traveling.

Stephen Facella is a CFP® professional affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors with 29 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Kovack Securities, The Fiduciary Group, Capital Guardian Wealth Management, Raymond James Financial Services, and A. G. Edwards & Sons. He serves as a board member of the financial council for St. Jerome Church and School in Fort Lauderdale. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, pension plans, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and wrap-fee programs. The firm offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary management services and maintains proprietary model strategies under the Founders Gate Capital brand.